Toy



D. C. DOZIER May 17, 1949.

TOY

2 She'ets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1946 \LQQ May 17, 1949. D. c. DOZIERTOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 15, 1946 Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STAT E S PAT ENT. OF FliC TOY Daniel C. Dozier, Norfolk; Vas' ApplicationNovember 15, 1946;"SeriaINbI IIULU'IG 15 Claims. 1

The presentinventiow'relates to a childs mechanical toy, andmoreparticularly'to a 1118'- chani-cal toy "of the kinematic typeadapted to be actuated solelyby gravity and whereinasimulated-animal"fingurepr other-object is caused to move backand forthalon-g'an inclined track by alternately tipping the latter intooppositely inclined positions.

The 'principal'objectof the invention is to provide a kinematicto ofthetyp'e-described which may be easily'set-in operationby children andwhich will continue to operate in an engaging fashion overaneXteIfded-periodof time as compared with the brief-interval requiredto initiate such operation."

Another 'object o'f the invention is to provide a toy of the typedescribed involving a relatively fewworking parts which may a beexpeditiously and inexpensivelwproduc'ed almost entirely from metalstam'pings or the like and-Which is not likely to become-outcf order"underconclitions of strenuous usage; a

A further object of the invention is to providea kinematic =ty ofthetype described which operates entirely bythe force of gravity afterhaving once been set'in starting position and thus' -requires noeXterhal-power source for its practical operation so that-itmay beplaced in the handset very small children with safety.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring thecourse of the following description.

In the drawings l have shownoneembcdiment of the invention-. In thisshowing:

Fig. 1 is a front' elevation-of the toy illustrating'successivepositions "of certain of the parts in broken lines; I

Fig; 2 is an enlargecl fragmentar sectional view on 1me2-2 otliigrl;

Fig.8 is an'endview of the toy', a portion of the housing 'beingbrokenaway to illustrate the interiorconstruction; i

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view to an-enlarged scale of aportion of one of the vertical-supports taken substantially' along theline-IVIV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail i-perspective view to an enlarged scale of one of thecrossheads and a fragment of the transverse rail constituting a part ofthe present invention and Fig. 6 is a'd'etail perspective Viewillustrating to anenlarged scale the 'movable'carriage and simulatedanimal figure carried 'thereby.

Referring to Figs: land '2', the device comprises an elongated base' ltHaving a paircf upright 1:: supports 12 extendingsubstantiallyvertically upward adjacent-its opposite-ends and including acrdssbracefli extendingtransversely' -between said supports. Each ofthe' supports' I2 is provided with a generally tuiiulari housing i6,*having 'fianges I-B KFigiiZ'EQr) *adaptedto be secured in anyeonven'ient mannen "to the outer' faces of the supports +25 Th *base-|fi,-supp0rts l2, and -cr0ssbrace-"l4 dons-amen "relatively 'fixedframework for -thetoy; prefer'ably'bein'gformed of lightmetaIstaIrinings-pr the-like and assembled E together "in any mam manneras, for example, by' i spot weliing. Alternatively, suitable threadetidr other -s'in'rilazr connecting these members togetm-zr'- sothatthetoy-may be readily kiisriiantied "for storage or shipment, if desired.

Referring to was; 2 ":iTndB, it will-he noted that each of the supportsl2 na'ctt'ial-ly formed of a pain- 0fliorizontally spaced stainpings 20having their inner edges shaman-enema form a pair oi tracks 22 defininga g uidewa'y 2'4 E pen ing-into the- 'interior 'et the housing-re. "Apair of vertical racks: 26' eacn navmg I a plurality 1 of teeth 28formed thereon-is su-Itab 'attached in any conveniene manner to tnmembers 20 at each s'id bf the rguumewaysa 21' Within the hintsings la IAs Will -be particalarlw i n Flg X l, the

teeth: 28 of the pair or reeksize within eacn housing-' 1 6 ar'esubstantially e've'nly' verticaliy spaced and a're staggered-wertieanyto lie in different horizontal =i'elative to the respectrated-in greater"(Feta-ll in Fig i' 5'. :5 Each crosshead comprises-a pala e genaanyrectangular plaltes-32 at oppesit 's'ides of similai 'p'air ofspacerplates 34 and helii together in any "can venient inanner asbymeans -"of a' thr'ougn bolt 3'6 and. assoeiate d ii llt 3fli "ItWill-- be tinted that the spacer elements 34 are of slightly greaterwidththan tnat of"tne 'traeks az so as to form cnannel snapedrunners*between' the lates e2 adaptd te sllciami i'leiv the respectivetiacks Each of the inner plates 32 is provided with a notch 48 in itstop edge adapted to receive one end 42 of a beam 44, preferably formedas an inverted T-shaped rail. The lower edges of the ends 42 of the rail44 are provided with enlarged notches 43 so that when the ends 42 areinserted within the notches 48 (Figure 4) the beam 44 will be looselyengaged with the crossheads 38.

The outer plate 32 of each of the crossheads 38 has edge portions turnedoutwardly to form lugs 48. A pivot pin 58 is connected between the lugs48 of each pair and a lever 52 is pivotally supported thereby. Eachlever carries a transverse latch bar 54 attached thereto in anyconvenient manner and extending laterally from the opposite sidesthereof. Each lever 52 is bent inwardly at its bottom end to form anactuating arm 56 adapted to extend through one of the guideways 24 andhaving an inclined abutment 58 at its inner end adapted to actuate thelatch bar 54 in a manner to be described. A counter-weight 51 is carriedby the lower end of each latch bar to tend to swing it inwardly.

At the top of the supports I2 I have provided pulleys 68 rotatablymounted upon brackets 62 secured in any convenient manner to the topends of the members as particularly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Flexiblecables or lines 64 extend over the pulleys 68 and are attached at oneend to weights 65 freely vertically movable within the housings IS. Thelines 64 are secured at their opposite ends to the crossheads 38 bylooped members 58 secured to the bolts 36. As indicated above, acrosshead 38 is provided in each of the guideways 24, the transversebeam 44 being loose ly engaged therewith. It will be apparent that theweights 66 are considerably heavier than the combined weights of thecrossheads 30, the beam 44, and the carriage to be described below, andthus serve to continually urge the ends of the beam 44 upwardly.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 6, the carriage referred to above comprises agrooved wheel 10 in rolling contact with the upper edge of the rail 44and freely movable therealong. A hanger 12 is rotatably mounted upon anddepends from the axle ll of the wheel 18 and carries a counterbalance 14at the end of a rod 16 attached to the hanger 12 in any suitable manneras by means of a rivet or screw 18. The hanger 12 extends downwardly atopposite sides of the rail 44 in such manner as to prevent the carriagefrom dropping in the event the wheel 10 should become disengaged fromthe rail 44. It should also be particularly noted that thecounterbalance 14 as illustrated in Fig. 1 is positioned beneath thecarriage in such manner as to engage the abutments 58 of the actuatingarms '55 at the opposite limits of its travel along the rail 44 for areason which will be explained.

A simulated animal figure 88 is supported by a pin 8|, oifset from theaxle H. The pin 8| passes through a pair of ofiset arms 82, held inspaced relation by a collar 84, and extending to one side of andpreferably integral with the hanger 12. In the present case the animalfigure has been selected to represent a monkey which is retained inapproximately upright position by connecting a depending tail portion 86thereof with the rivet 18.

Another wheel 88 is rigidly secured to the axle H coaxial with thegrooved wheel 10 for rotation with the latter. A pin 90 mountedeccentrically upon the outer face of the wheel 88 is pivotally connectedto one end of a link 92 articulated as by means of a pivot pin 93 toanother link 94 and the latter in turn is pivotally mounted at itsopposite end upon the pivot pin 8|. It will thus be apparent that as thegrooved wheel 10 rolls along the rail 44 the wheel 88 is also caused torotate thus imparting an oscillatory motion to the articulated arms 32and 94 to simulate a pedaling action by the animal figure 80.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the various relatively fixed portions of the framework such as thebase I0 and upright supports I2 in assembled condition, the carriage isplaced upon the rail 44 with the grooved wheel '58 in contact with thelatter, by inserting one end of the rail between the arms 72. The endsof the transverse rail 44 are then loosely engaged with the oppositelydisposed crossheads 38 as shown in Figure 4. The toy is set in operationby manually grasping the rail 44 and moving it downwardly between thesupports 12 and into the solid line position illustrated in Fig. 1. Inthis lowermost position the latch bars 54 are in engagement with thelowermost teeth 28 of the opposite racks 25 as shown, for example, infull lines in Fig. 4, thus retaining each of the crossheads as well asthe rail 44 and its carriage in lowered position against the elevatingtendency of the weights 66 which have been raised upwardly and which,due to their greater weight, tend to urge the movable crossheads andassociated structure upwardly. By reason of the vertically staggeredarrangement of the respective opposite teeth of the racks 26, the rail44 will occupy an inclined position relative to the horizontal plane,being tilted downwardly and to the left in the solid line position inFigure 1.

With the parts in the set condition illustrated in Fig. 1, the carriageis now permitted to roll down the inclined rail 44 or from theright-hand side to the extreme left-hand position illustrated in dottedlines in Fig. 1. Upon reaching the lefthand end of the rail 44, thecounterbalance 14 strikes the abutment 58 causing the actuating arm 55to move its associated rack bar 54 out of engagement with the teeth 28.During this operation, which is of only momentary duration, the lever 52pivots momentarily about the pivot pin under the impact of thecounterbalance 14 and almost immediately returns to a substantiallyvertical position.

This pivoting motion of the lever 52 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4however, is sufficient to disengage the latch bar 54 from one pair ofthe teeth 28 so that the left-hand crosshead 30 is free to move upwardlyunder the urging of its associated weight until the latch bar 54 engagesthat pair of teeth 28 next above. This upward movement of the crosshead38 of course also carries the left-hand end of the rail 44 upwardlyapproximately the same distance so that the rail 44 is now inclined inan opposite direction or is tilted downwardly to the right. The carriagewill then move to the right along the rail 44 until the counterbalance74 engages the abutment '58 upon the actuating arm 56 depending from therighthand crosshead 38 at which time a sequence of operations identicalto that just described will take place causing the right-hand crossheadto move upwardly thus tilting the rail 44 into a reversely inclinedposition similar to but above its original position.

The successive positions assumed by the rail 44 are illustratedschematically in Fig. l by the :inclined ,dottedxlines, the arrowsshowing :the;1direction of'movement ofthecarriage for each'zposition. Itwill be obvious that :as long as the weights 66 continue to urge thecrossheads .3Gand rail at upwardly,xthe latter. will continue to move instep-by-step mannenthe carriage rolling back and forth along th rail toreleasexthe endslof' the latter one at a time until the railAireacheszthe uppermost limit or its travel. As previously men- 2tioned, the articulated membersQZ; Mrwill oscillate continuously duringmovement 'ofthe carriage back and forth across the rail M to may bereadily assembled from a relatively-few simple parts and which derivesits motive power entirely from the force of gravity. Although in thepreferred embodiment which I have chosen for purposes of illustration Ihave disclosed a1: pair of toothed rack bars at opposite-sides of eachof the guideways 24, it will be apparent that numerous equivalentmechanisms may-be substituted therefor and that the-positive tooth andlatch bar engagement may even be elimi-l nated in favor of variousknownfrictional "contact or other equivalentdevices. -In like manner,although I prefer to have the movable portions of the toy ascend duringoperation,'it will be apparent that by the provision of suitable reverselatch actuating mechanism the weights 5% could be eliminated and themovable elements permitted to descend under the action of, gravityduring operation of the toy.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a base, a pair of spaced upright supports atopposite endsv of. said base each including a pair of spacedwallsforming a vertical guideway, and a generally tubular housing, verticalracks within said housings having substantially evenly spaced teeth, theteeth of one rack being staggered vertically to lie in differenthorizontal planes than the teeth of the other rack, a pulley mountedadjacent the top of each housing and having a flexible line extendingthereover, a weight attachedto. one iend of each of said lines forvertical movement within the associated housing, a crosshead attached tothe other end of each line and including; a run-' ner slidably engagedinthe associated :guideway, a depending lever pivotally attachedcto;each cro-sshead and including a laterally extending latch bar at itslower end successively engageable with the associated teeth and anactuating v arm extending through the associated guideway,

an inverted T-shape rail loosely engaged with said crossheads andextending therebetween, a carriage including a grooved wheel in-rollingcontact with said'rail, a simulated animalflgure on said carriageincluding articulated portions having mechanical connection with said,wheel, and a counterbalance depending from said carriage and alternatelyengageable with saidvactuating arms for disengaging said. latch barsfrom said teeth whereby saidweights alternately move the correspondingends of said railupwardly to successively reversely inclined .positionsto cause said carriage-to travel backi and forth along said rail betweensaid supports.

2. A toy comprising a base,-'apair of spaced upright supports atopposite ends of said base each including a pair of spaced walls.forming a vertical guideway, and aigenerallytubular hous- 7 ing,vertical aracks'. within said; housingshaving" :substantially evenlyspaced teeth; theiteeth of 10118 rack beingt staggered vertically to liein- .difierent '-.i..ohorizontal.aplanes' than the teeth of :the othermrack, aapulley imountedcadjaoent: the top :of each rhousingciandlhaving a flexiblev line extending .iOthBY-JBIICI of each linewandincluding. a runner oslidablyx-engaged in the associated guideway; a.depending'lever pivotally attached to each crosszahead'andiincluding alaterally extending latch .ri at: its .lower end successively engageablewith :the associated .teeth and an actuating arm exitendingrthroughltheassociated guideway, an inverted'sTFshape railloosely engagedwith saidorcrossheads.andextending therebetween, a carriageoincludingalgroovedwheel inrolling contact: with: said raiLand a counterbalancedepend- ..ing'irom-saidcarriage and alternatelyengageiablenwithsaid-actuating arms for disengaging w said latch barsfrom said" teeth whereby said weights-alternately move the correspondingends :-of saidrail upwardly tosuccessively reversely inclined positionsto cause said carriage to travel -back and forth 'along said railbetween said supports.

i 3 A -toy comprising a base, a pair ofspaced -uprightsupportsatopposite ends ofsaid base each-including a pair. of spaced wallsforming a vertical guideway; vertical racks adjacent saidm-guidewayshaving substantially evenly spaced -teeth, theteeth of onerack being staggered verticallyt0- lie in di'fierent horizontal planesthan lth'e'teeth of the other rack, acrosshead including arunnerslidably engaged witheach guideway for-rciprocation therewithin, meansurging said crossheads upwardly, a depending lever pivotally -attachedto each crosshead including laterally *extendinglatch bars at itslower-end successively ---engageable*with-the associated teeth and an-=actuating arm extending through the associated 'guideway, an -invertedT-shape-rail loosely engaged with said-crossheads andextending there---between, a carriage including a grooved wheel in --r0lling contactwith said rail, and a counterbalance depending from said carriage andalternately engageablewith said actuating arms for disengaging saidlatch bars from said teeth =-whereby-saidrail will move upwardly to sue--cessi-vely 'reversely inclined positions to cause saidcarriage totravel back and forth along said rail between said supports.

4.- A-toy'comprising a base, a pair of spaced -upright-supports atopposite ends of said .base

- eachincluding a'vertical guideway, vertical racks adjacent said"guideways having substantially evenly spaced teeth, the teeth of onerack being "staggeredvertically to lie'in different horizontal'planesthan the teeth of the other rack, a crosshead mounted forreciprocation in each guideway, I imeans urging said crossheadsupwardly, a depending lever pivotally attached to each cross- 5- headand-including laterally extending latch bars at its'lower endsuccessively engageable with the teeth'oftheassociated rack andan-actuating arm 1 extending through the associated guideway, aninverted-*T-shape rail loosely engaged-with said crossheads andextending therebetween, a carriage including a grooved wheel in rollingcontact w'ith said rail; and a counterbalance depending from -saidcarriage 'and alternately engageable with-:s'aid-actuatingarms fordisengaging said latch bars fromsaidteethwhereby said rail'will'-'-moveupwardly to successivelyreversely inclined positions to causesaid carriage to travel back and forth along said rail between saidsupports.

5. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports each including asubstantially vertical guideway, a substantially vertical rack adjacenteach of said guideways including uniformly spaced teeth thereon, theteeth of each rack being respectively vertically staggered relative tothe teeth of the other rack to lie in difierent horizontal planes, acrosshead having reciprocating engagement with each guideway, meansurging said crossheads upwardly, a depending lever pivotally attached toeach crosshead and including a laterally extending latch bar at itslower end successively engageable with the teeth of the associated rack,and an actuating arm extending through the associated guideway, aninverted T-shape rail loosely engaged with said crossheads and extendingtherebetween, a carriage including a grooved wheel in rolling contactwith said rail, and a counterbalance depending from said carriage andalternately engageable with said actuating arms for disengaging saidlatch bars from said teeth whereby said rail will move upwardly tosuccessively reversely inclined positions to cause said carriage totravel back and forth therealong between said supports.

6. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports each including asubstantially vertical guideway, a substantially vertical rack adjacenteach of said guideways including uniformly spaced teeth thereon, theteeth of each rack being respectively vertically staggered relative tothe teeth of the other rack to lie in different horizontal planes, acrosshead having reciprocating engagement with each guideway, meansurging said crossheads upwardly, latch means depending from eachcrosshead and successively engageable with the adjacent teeth, a railloosely engaged with said crossheads and extending therebetween, acarriage including a grooved Wheel in rolling contact with said rail,and a counterbalanc depending from said carriage and alternatelyengageable with said latch means for disengaging the latter from saidteeth whereby said rail will move upwardly to successively reverselyinclined positions to cause said carriage to travel back and forth alongsaid rail between said supports.

'7. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports each having aguideway, a rack adjacent each of said guideways including a pluralityof teeth thereon, the teeth of each rack being respectively verticallystaggered relative to the teeth of the other rack to lie in differenthorizontal planes, a crosshead mounted for reciprocation within eachguideway, means urging said crossheads upwardly, latch means carried byeach crosshead and successively engageable with the adjacent teeth, arail loosely engaged with said crossheads and extending therebetween,and a carriage movable along said rail, said carriage having a trippingportion alternately engageable with said latch means for disengaging thelatter from said teeth to release alternate ends of said rail formovement upwardly to successively reversely inclined positions to causesaid carriage to travel back and forth along said rail between saidsupports.

8. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports each having aguideway, a rack adjacent each of said guideways including a pluralityof teeth thereon, the teeth of each rack being respectively verticallystaggered relative to the teeth of the other rack to lie in difierenthorizontal planes, a crosshead mounted for reciprocation in eachguideway, latch means depending from each crosshead and successivelyengageable with the adjacent teeth, a rail loosely engaged with saidcrossheads and extending therebetween, and a carriage movable along saidrail, said carriage having a tripping portion alternately engageablewith said latch means for disengaging the latter from said teeth wherebysaid rail may move relative to said supports to successively reverselyinclined positions to cause said carriage to travel back and forththerealong between said supports.

9. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports, a plurality ofteeth on each of said supports, the teeth on each support beingrespectively vertically staggered relative to the respective teeth onthe other support, a crosshead movably mounted on each support, latchmeans on each crosshead successively engageable with the associatedteeth, a transverse beam loosely engaged with said crossheads, and acarriage movable along said beam, said carriage having a trippingportion alternately engageable with said latch means for disengaging thelatter from said teeth to result in movement of said beam relative tosaid supports to successively reversely inclined positions to cause saidcarriage to travel back and forth along said beam between said supports.

10. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports, a plurality ofteeth on each of said supports, the teeth on each support beingrespectively vertically staggered relative to the respective teeth onthe other support, a structure including a transverse beam mounted forvertical movement between said supports, latch means adjacent each endof said beam successively engageable with the adjacent teeth, and acarriage movable along said beam, said carriage havin a tripping portionalternately engageable with each latch means for disengaging the latterfrom the adjacent teeth whereby said beam may move relative to saidsupports to successively reversely inclined positions to cause saidcarriage to travel back and forth therealong between said supports.

11. A toy comprising a pair of spaced upright supports, a structureincluding a transverse beam mounted for vertical movement between saidsupports, latch means connected to said structure adjacent opposite endsof said beam and releasably engaged with said supports, and a carriagemovable along said beam and including a tripping portion alternatelyengageable with said latch means for disengaging the latter from saidsupports whereby said beam may move relative to said supports tosuccessively reversely inclined positions to cause said carriage totravel by gravity back and forth therealong between said supports.

12. A toycomprising a beam, a pair of spaced upright supports eachhaving a plurality of vertically spaced stop elements, the stop elementsof each upright support being staggered relative to the respective stopelements of the other upright support whereby, when its ends are engagedwith stop elements of the upright supports, said beam is inclined fromthe horizontal, and a wheeled figure mounted on said beam to traveltherealong by gravity toward the lower end thereof and operativeadjacent such end of the beam for disengaging one end thereof from thestop element with which it is engaged to release said one end of saidbeam for movement to a next adjacent stop element of the same uprightsupport to reverse the inclination of said beam.

13. A toy comprising a beam, a pair of spaced upright supports eachhaving a plurality of vertically spaced stop elements, the stop elementsof each upright support being staggered relative to the respective stopelements of the other upright support whereby, when its ends are engagedwith stop elements of the upright supports, said beam is inclined fromthe horizontal, and means for disengaging one end of said beam from thestop element with which it is engaged whereby such end of said beam isreleased for movement to a next adjacent stop element of the sameupright support, said releasing means comprising a wheeled figuremounted on said beam for movement by gravity toward the lower endthereof and operative when it reaches a point adjacent such end of thebeam for releasing said one end of the beam from the stop element withwhich it is engaged.

14. A toy comprising a beam, a pair of spaced upright supports eachhaving a plurality of vertically spaced stop elements, the stop elementsof each upright support being staggered relative to the respective stopelements of the other upright support whereby, when its ends are engagedwith stop elements of the upright supports, said beam is inclined fromthe horizontal, and means, comprising a wheeled figure mounted formovement along said beam by gravity toward the lower end thereof,operative when said figure reaches approximately the lower end of saidbeam, for disengaging one end of said beam from the stop element withwhich it is engaged to release said one end of said beam for movementinto engagement with a next adjacent stop element to reverse theinclination of said beam.

15. A toy comprising a beam, a pair of spaced upright supports eachhaving a plurality of vertically spaced stop elements, the stop elementsof each upright support being staggered relative to the respective stopelements of the other upright support whereby, when its ends are engagedwith stop elements of the upright supports, said beam is inclined fromthe horizontal, each end of said beam being biased for vertical movementin one direction toward the next adjacent stop element, and means,comprising a wheeled figure mounted to roll on said beam toward thelower end thereof, for disengaging one end of said beam from the stopelement with which it is engaged when said figure reaches the lower endof said beam, whereby said one end of said beam moves into engagementwith the next adjacent stop element.

DANIEL C. DOZIER.

No references cited.

